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Why ask us about Telangana, ask Congress: Oppn

July 07, 2011 17:19 IST

Opposition parties on Thursday slammed the central government for not taking prompt action on Justice B N Srikrishna's recommendations on resolving the Telangana issue.

Talking to rediff.com, Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Brinda Karat held Manmohan Singh's government responsible for the present flare-up in Telangana.

"Justice Srikrishna committee for consultations on the situation in Andhra Pradesh was submitted six months ago, but the central government has done nothing about it. It (the committee) had recommended six alternatives to find a solution to the Telangana problem," she said.

D Raja of the Communist Party of India was more forthcoming on the issue.

"Instead of asking us about the developments in Telangana, you should direct your question to the Congress party, which has not clarified its position on the issue. We are for the formation of the Telangana state," he said.

Former Bharatiya Janata Party president M Venkaiah Naidu has been airing pro-Telangana views on behalf of his party.

"We are for the formation of Telangana state," he said.

Interestingly, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government did not do anything for the formation of Telangana. Naidu, then, was minister for urban development.

Amongst those opposing the formation of a Telangana state include Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee.

 

Creation of a separate Telangana state with Hyderabad as its capital or keeping Andhra Pradesh united with constitutional and statutory measures for empowerment of the Telangana region are among the six options recommended by the Justice Srikrishna Committee. 

Onkar Singh in New Delhi